


iota

by euriele



Category: Red vs. Blue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-29
Updated: 2014-06-29
Packaged: 2018-02-06 18:23:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1867806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/euriele/pseuds/euriele
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In another universe, Carolina takes your A.I. She lets the competition and the leader board and the need to be better get to her and takes your A.I. She suffers through a breakdown, leads you to go insane.</p>
<p>But that doesn't happen in this universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	iota

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to michaeljcaboosie on tumblr for the idea

In another universe, Carolina takes your A.I. She lets the competition and the leader board and the need to be better get to her and takes your A.I. She suffers through a breakdown, leads you to go insane.

 

But that doesn't happen in this universe.

 

In this one, you're up for implantation next. You stare at your name on the board, at the name Iota next to it. South's up next, and Eta is hers. But she has to wait, wait a few days to see if your implantation goes well.

 

You sincerely hope it does.

 

It's nerve-racking, sitting around and waiting to be called. It's any minute now. You start shaking your leg, try and clear your mind. That's what North told you, have a clear mind and to just be calm. He says it doesn't hurt when they implant the A.I., that you'll just hear a drilling sound and a tingle up your spine. He tells you that the A.I.'s voice will seem too loud at first, but that you'll get used to it.

 

"Agent Washington?"

 

Snap your head up, look at the Counsellor stood in the doorway to the waiting room.

 

"It's time."

 

You nod, stand up and follow the Counsellor down the hallway and through the doors into the OR, where the white-clothed medics make you take off your helmet and lie on the operating table. There's a sharp pain in the side of your neck. You jerk away at first, relax when you realise it's just the anaesthesia.

 

The Director's in the room. You can hear him talking in low tones to the medics, see him moving in your peripheral vision. There's a storage unit in his hand, whirring away quietly. You know that Iota is stored in there. The beeps from the heart monitor in the background increase in frequency as you clench your fists at your side.

 

"Agent Washington, we need you to remain calm," the medic by your shoulder says.

"I know, I'm sorry," you mutter. Close your eyes, force yourself to take deep breaths and slow your heart rate down. The beeps fall into a slower rhythm.

 

"Entering Zero G," another medic says.

 

The table beneath you vanishes, leaves you floating. Someone flips you over so that you're looking down at the table. There are cold fingers on the back of your neck, pulling away the neckline of the Kevlar suit and exposing the skin beneath.

 

Screw your eyes shut, force yourself to block out the sounds of the medics. Listen to your heartbeat instead of the drilling noises, force it to stay calm when you can feel them inserting the A.I. into you.

 

You can feel Iota already, waiting for you at the back of your mind. You can already hear the low hum of the A.I., ready to be powered up.

 

"Powering up in 3 -"

 

Imagine the worst case scenario.

 

"- 2-"

 

Everything goes wrong. Iota and you aren't compatible. He's not like the others. He tears your mind to shreds and drives you insane.

 

"- 1."

 

You flinch when you feel the fragment spark, flinch when the A.I.'s thoughts hit you all at once. It doesn't hurt; it's just loud, like North said it would be.

 

**Agent Washington? Agent Washington, are you alright?**

 

He sounds a bit like Theta, you think, remembering the purple, child-like A.I. that always hovered above North's shoulder. Iota's voice has a very childish quality to it, but a bit older. And it's warmer too, a warmer tone that actually calms your jittery nerves.

 

**Washington, please -**

_I'm alright, Iota._

 

**You had me worried for a second.**

 

_Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I was just surprised._

 

You're barely aware of what's going on around you, barely aware of the fact that you're on a gurney and being wheeled towards Reocvery. You close your eyes as the lights pass by too quickly overhead, close your eyes and listen to Iota humming at the back of your mind.

 

You think to how you were panicking, think to your worst case scenario that you came up with. It's the exact opposite of what's happened.

**You thought I'd hurt you?**

 

Flinch, because you've forgotten that someone's sharing your head and your thoughts now. There's a crack in Iota's voice. You can feel his apprehension, feel his concern.

 

**I'm sorry if I did. I didn't mean to! I'm -**

 

_Iota, it's fine. You didn't hurt me._

 

Feel his relief and smile, because it's gone so much better than how you'd imagined it to go.


End file.
